Brad G Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 Do any of you guys make/use your own furled leaders, and what are your thoughts on them (compared to normal ones)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad G Posted July 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 Topic should be "furled" leaders.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjtroester Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 i have used them and like them alot. they can be a little more hassle if you are fishing a dry fly. i loke them very light but if you make them a little heavier they are like rocket heads. timothy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronk Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 I've never used one.I imagine they would turn over better but also might slow a fly's sink rate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad G Posted July 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 I don't have a whole lot of experience with them, but made a few and have been using them for the past year or so. They seem to turn over better for me. I'll have to look up the recipe I used, but I think I started out with 30# and went down to 8#. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 Never used a furled leader. They may be a good option for delicate presentations of tiny flies. Bass are not on my list of fish who want "delicate." Lately I have been tying my own based on the 4, 2, 1 formula. 4' of 40#, 2' of 20#, 1' of 10#, plus tippet for an 8 wt line. These big butt leaders really turn over big flies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad G Posted July 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 Mike... do you use an Albright knot for the connections? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Man, I had an old Cortland Rocket Taper fly line that would have been perfect for those fueled leaders Actually last year at one of our Central Illinois fly tying gatherings, Tim B. was kind enough to bring over his home made but nicely made jigs used for making furled leaders. We made up several using fly tying thread. I found that they absorbed a lot of water, even those that I treated with linseed oil as Timothy suggested, so much so that they weighed enough that I found it difficult to cast using the same lines that I normally used with each rod. I would like to try it again but this time use a fine monofilament so as to keep the weight down. I do have a friend that uses furled leaders exclusively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rich mc Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 perhaps we can get some furled leaders to use at the cast n compare. from what I have heard they are great for bass bugs . rich mc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted July 9, 2014 Report Share Posted July 9, 2014 Brad, I use a good old blood knot to join the segments and an equally old perfection loop for the ends. The two. Both go back to the days of silk gut leaders but they perform as well as the latest greatest designer knots. Both are in a book that I have that was copyrighted in 1940· Rich, That is a good idea. Right now furled leaders are $12-15 a copy vs $2-3 for a knotless tapered leader. Hand tied DIYs are about two bits. I will send some of my two bit wonders to the next C&C so the full spectrum is represented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allen Rupp Posted July 15, 2014 Report Share Posted July 15, 2014 I make my own furled leaders and have for close to 15 years. I've tried everything imaginable...Ono , flouro super lines , fly tying thread ( 5 brands ). They all work once you understand how to build one with each. For example super lines cannot handle a much twist as tying thread they get too stiff or rigid. Flouro is horrible for topwater presentations, each have attributes that are fun to play with. I have used mine on everything up to 30 lb stripers off cape cod down to tiny trout. I did not like the recipes online, I have adjusted my leaders for my own casting stroke and 'standard' fishing conditions. I would recommend the same, experiment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klrbaer Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 I've been making my own for several years now. I make the for my 5wt., 3 wt., 7 wt., and my 11' tenkara. I think a shorter leader is better, I use 70 denier tying thread for all mine. I treat mine with Loons Patee Paste and get good floating from them. They do tend to get water logged, but if you let them dry a little, 20 - 30 min. while using another rod then quickly treat and get back to dry fly fishing, I feel they work great. I'd love to bring everything to another meeting this winter. I'd like to find a machinist that I can work with to make a furling machine. If there are any out there. If anyone wants to contact me with questions, please email me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronk Posted July 26, 2014 Report Share Posted July 26, 2014 I don't think that either hand tied or furled leaders are worth the bother especially given their downsides. Commercially made tapered leaders that match the fly being fished are used exclusively by almost all ffers and should cast just fine. If not the fault most often lies with the caster not the leader as in "it's not the arrow,it's the Indian."But for anyone wanting to try one Feathercraft makes them with a handy little o ring for attaching the tippet.They also sell just the orings to extend the life of any leader's butt section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rich mc Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 I purchased a furled leader from streamside leaders at the cast n compare deal at $6. it is 4.5ft and made for 8-10 wt rods. it tied it on my 8wt sunday for a test ride with one of my 4inch worms. I WISH I WOULD HAVE TRIED THEM LAST YEAR they made casting easier and gave me more control during the retrieve. for heavier flies I would recommend them. rich mc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikea Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Love em, make mine out of mine out of mono and fluorocarbon. Takes about 3 to 5 minutes per leader and cheap as all get out, I spin them up by hand with out tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Mike, is this a technique you might use to build yours or do you have a jig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 I purchased a furled leader from streamside leaders at the cast n compare deal at $6. it is 4.5ft and made for 8-10 wt rods. it tied it on my 8wt sunday for a test ride with one of my 4inch worms. I WISH I WOULD HAVE TRIED THEM LAST YEAR they made casting easier and gave me more control during the retrieve. for heavier flies I would recommend them. rich mc Rich, Did you ever try that Big Butt leader I gave you a while back? My experience with them says it will kick your Worm into orbit. The design can be produced in a 4.5 ft. model. BTW, are you using a tippet of what length? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rich mc Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 the leader came with a ring at the end and I tied on about 4ft of 15lb mono. I will look for that leader , maybe its with the dino foam . rich mc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikea Posted September 18, 2014 Report Share Posted September 18, 2014 Yepper that's it! Mike, is this a technique you might use to build yours or do you have a jig? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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